Doing the Father's Will
Twenty-sixth Sunday - Year A
Ezekiel 18:25-28; Philippians 2:1-11 (2:1-5); Matthew 21:28-32
"Which of the two did the will of his father?” (Matt. 21:31). The answer is obvious. A wicked person who turns back from the wickedness and does what is just (Ezek. 18:26-27), the son who went to the vineyard (Matt. 21:32), and Jesus who humbled himself and those who follow his example (Phil. 2:3-8). It is not enough, however, to give the correct answer. We have to ask ourselves: Do I do the will of the Father?
The Israelites exiled to Babylon in 597 and 586 BC blamed their fathers for the tragedy of their nation (Ezek. 18:2). The chief priests and elders of the people did not consider that the Baptist's call to conversion was also directed at them (Matt. 21:25). Among the Christians during the time of St. Paul were those who acted as enemies of the cross of Christ (Phil. 3:18). How do you reach such people with the message that "not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven"(Matt. 7:21)? Tell them a parable.
When David sinned prophet Nathan told him a parable (2 Sam. 11-12). A rich man who had many flocks took the only lamb of the poor man and prepared it for a dinner for his guest. David got furious and said that this man deserves to die (2 Sam. 12:5-6). He did not expect Nathan's shocking statement: "You are the man!" (2 Sam. 12:7). When the chief priests and the elders answered that the son who finally went to work in the vineyard fulfilled the will of the father, they did not expect Jesus' shocking statement: "Amen, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you" (Matt. 21:31).
The father in the parable symbolizes God and his two sons represent two categories of people. Some at first rebel against God's will, but then change their mind and do it, while others externally show obedience, but in reality disregard God's will. David acknowledged his sin (2 Sam. 12:13), a tax collector became Jesus' disciple and a sinful woman expressed her regret over past sins by washing Jesus' feet with her tears (Luke 7:37-39). But we do not hear about any chief priest becoming a disciple of John the Baptist or Jesus. Why? Would acknowledging the fact that they were also sinners in need of salvation insult their social status?
Humility means to face the truth. I am that righteous person who turned away from righteousness; I am the son who prays "Lord Jesus Christ", but does not do the will of the Father; I am the believer who acts out of selfishness and vainglory (Phil. 2:3). Many of us imitate Adam who listened to the temptation of being like God and ruined his future (Gen. 3:5). St. Paul, on the other hand, calls us to humility: “humbly regard others more important than yourselves" (Phil. 2:4) and imitate our Lord Jesus, who for us and our salvation humbled himself to death on the cross (Phil. 2:5-8).
A Polish proverb says: 'Don't praise the day before the sunset'. It does not matter how we begin the day but how we end it. St. Paul began as a persecutor of the Church but ended up as Christ's apostle to the nations. St. Augustine led in his youth a sinful and immoral life but ended up as a bishop and one of the greatest theologians of the Church. On the other hand, among Jesus' disciples was also Judas, among Paul's coworkers was Demas (2 Tim. 4:10), and among John's acquaintances was Diotrephes (3 John 9).
"Child, go and work in the vineyard today" (Matt. 21:28). This "today" lasts as long as our lives, therefore, "today" if we hear the voice of the Father, let us not harden our hearts, but let us go to work in the vineyard (Matt. 21:28). Amen.